lost in the region . it seems that local people never forgot about ti ##kal and they guided guatemala ##n expeditions to the ruins in the 1850s . some second - or third @ - @ hand accounts of ti ##kal appeared in print starting in the 17th century , continuing through the writings of john lloyd stephens in the early 19th century ( stephens and his illustrator frederick cat ##her ##wood heard rumors of a lost city , with white building tops towering above the jungle , during their 1839 @ - @ 40 travels in the region ) . because of the site ' s remote ##ness from modern towns , however , no explorers visited ti ##kal until modest ##o mendez and am ##bro ##sio
lost in the region. it seems that local people never forgot about tikal and they guided guatemalan expeditions to the ruins in the 1850s. some second - or third @ - @ hand accounts of tikal appeared in print starting in the 17th century, continuing through the writings of john lloyd stephens in the early 19th century ( stephens and his illustrator frederick catherwood heard rumors of a lost city, with white building tops towering above the jungle, during their 1839 @ - @ 40 travels in the region ). because of the site's remoteness from modern towns, however, no explorers visited tikal until modesto mendez and ambrosio